ME AND MY VERY FUNNY SHOWS!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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​​Hello-- 

 

Here is some info about me and my very funny, very popular storytelling shows.  

 

If you'd like to see A SHORT VIDEO about my shows (including latest touring show show, TEENAGE WASTELAND: Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen), please  CLICK HERE. 

 

TEENAGE WASTELAND is a collection of hilarious (and poignant) true stories from my unfortunate early adolescence.  It was presented in a workshop format at Pangea in New York City in January 2025 and was a tremendous hit with both the audiences and the press.  The video includes clips of my previous work. 

 

My game plan is to tour TEENAGE WASTLAND during the summer and fall of 2025.  I already have dates booked in New York City, Palm Springs, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Nantucket and Hyannis this summer.    Ticket info will be posted here very soon!  

 

Below is a bunch of info about me and my shows.

 

I'd love to chat with you about booking my new show into your venue in 2025. 

 

Thanks,

David​​​​​​​

DavidDeanBottrell@Gmail.com

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​​In a Nutshell:

A few years ago, I stepped up on a stage and started telling the truth.  I now perform multiple full-length storytelling shows at theatres around the country. All my shows are non-linear collages of TRUE STORIES drawn from my life -- all woven into DEEPLY FUNNY, fast-moving 75–85-minute solo shows. My shows contain a bit of adult content, but it’s never excessive or vulgar.

 

The Content:

I’m a nerdy, mature Gay man doing contemporary, heartfelt, honest shows about tough subjects like finding & losing love, learning to forgive or confronting mortality.  Why?  Because we are living in strange, stressful, lonely times and my shows are ultimately a life-affirming look at how (with a little courage) we can still connect. 

 

The Reception:

All my shows have consistently drawn high critical praise, diverse audiences and return business.  Although the content of the shows is certainly personal, the stories have connected strongly with wildly different audiences in New York, Los Angeles, Sag Harbor, Nantucket and Palm Springs.  I'm frequently told by audience members they were surprised by how universal the stories are. 

 

Production:

The shows have few technical requirements.  It's basically me on stage with a stool.  If I'm working in a theatre space, I love working with a little music & some projected title cards that tell the audience the name of each story. 

 

What's Happening Now:

I'm currently looking for new collaborators & some great new venues to perform in during the coming year.  I've done the show in both traditional theatre settings and in cabaret spaces.  Professional references and video clips are available on request. I'm always excited to talk with anyone who might be looking for a fun and heartfelt show to be a part of their season or a specific festival.

 

Who Comes to My Shows:

My audiences are very diverse.  They range from college students to senior citizens.  Because of all the television work I've done, I have modest but loyal followings in both New York and Los Angeles.  If I was going to characterize my audience, I'd say it's an NPR crowd.  These shows are for grown-ups, so I usually say that they are probably not appropriate for people under the age of sixteen.  When people ask me who the show is appropriate for, I always say, "You can bring your grandmother to one of my shows - provided your grandmother watches HBO. 

 

My Bio:

David Dean Bottrell has played many guest star & recurring roles on lots of TV shows including Frasier (the reboot), Modern Family, Blacklist, Rectify, NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, Rectify, Mad Men, True Blood, Castle, Justified, Ugly Betty, Longmire, Boston Legal, and iCarly to name just a few.  His theatre credits include Second Stage, Long Wharf Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Walnut Street Theatre, the Colony Theatre in Los Angeles among many others. He has performed storytelling and sketch comedy shows at Joe’s Pub, Dixon Place, the Triad, Acme Comedy Theatre and Comedy Central Stage.  Plus, he’s performed his stories on PBS & NPR.  His book, Working Actor and his audiobook, David Dean Bottrell Makes Love: A One-Man Show were both published by Penguin Random House and are available wherever fine books are sold.  As a screenwriter, he’s worked for many Hollywood studios and his credits include Searchlight Films hit comedy, Kingdom Come. His comedy short film, Available Men (which he wrote & directed) screened in over 130 film festivals winning 17 awards.  During 2023-24, he performed his popular storytelling shows to packed houses in New York, Los Angeles, Sag Harbor, Palm Springs and Nantucket.  He recently won the 2023 NYC Bistro Award for “Outstanding Achievement in Storytelling” and has twice won the Los Angeles Stage Scene Award for “Best Solo Performance.” 

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The Shows: 

 

• David Dean Bottrell Makes Love: A One-Man Show / 75 Minutes of Unfortunately True Love Stories

• "Dear Mr. Bottrell, I Cannot Possibly Accept This" / True stories about knowing when you've had it. 

• The Death of Me Yet / An uplifting little show about biting the dust. 

• Teenage Wasteland: Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen / 5 True tales of heartbreak, hard-ons and hair

 

Awards & Nominations:

 

• Winner: Los Angeles Gems Award (Best Solo Performance, 2024) "Dear Mr. Bottrell, I Cannot Possibly Accept This"

 

• Winner:  LA Stage Scene Award (Best Solo Show, 2024) The Death of Me Yet

 

• Winner:  NYC Bistro Award (Outstanding Achievement in Spoken Word Cabaret Performance 2023) The Death of Me Yet & "Dear Mr. Bottrell, I Cannot Possibly Accept This"

 

• Named:  Theatre Scene NY (One of the10 Best Off-Off Broadway Shows, 2023) The Death of Me Yet

 

• Nominated:  The Lorca Award (Best Pro-LGBTQ+ Rights Theatre Performance, 2024)  "Dear Mr. Bottrell, I Cannot Possibly Accept This"

 

• Nominated:  BroadwayWorld Award (Best Solo Performance, 2023) The Death of Me Yet

 

• Nominated:  BroadwayWorld Award (Best Solo Performance, 2022) David Dean Bottrell Makes Love: A One-Man Show

 

Reviews of My Shows: 

 

• "HYSTERICAL... Bottrell’s acerbic writing reminds me a little of David Sedaris... Although his comedy is self-deprecating, it is equally other-deprecating, giving it a nice edge…Bottrell’s take on the human condition as 'funny, hopeless and sweet' is deeply consoling" -- Los Angeles Times

 

• “HILARIOUS... A Clark Kent with Deadpool’s biting wit… He taps into the universal vein with such raw honesty that he exposes himself at levels deeper than most would dare.” -- BroadwayWorld, NYC

 

• “HE'LL HAVE YOU IN STITCHES one moment and in quiet pensiveness the next." -- Playbill, NYC

 

• “FANTASTIC!... David Dean Bottrell is a consummate solo performer. His work is truly wonderful.  Like a gorgeous jigsaw puzzle of hilarious, yet deeply compelling stories.” -- Charles Busch, NYC Theatre Icon

 

• "RAW & UNFILTERED... If you have never had the privilege of seeing David Dean Bottrell tell a story, caution: you may need to bring an extra pair of pants.” -- Metrosource Magazine

 

• "SIDE-SPLITTING... Bottrell's mastery over his craft reaches a fresh peak...every laugh is earned, and every emotional moment feels authentic. His stories aren’t just entertaining—they’re cathartic, transforming personal discomfort into communal healing.” -- OpeningNightNYC.com

 

• “TOLD WITH WITH AND HUMOR, juxtaposed with heartbreak and frustration… Bottrell has a knack for and almost a need to share these stories…” -- Montauk Sun

 

• “THIS SHOW WAS LIKE having David sit in your living room and tell stories… Really relatable to every soul and spirit. I wanted "more" -- Joey English, KGX Talk Radio, Palm Springs

 

• “NOT MADE UP OF JOKES AND PUNCHLINES…Bottrell is finding the funny in mortality…” -- The Nantucket Inquirer and Mirror

 

• “HILARIOUS… A refreshing mix of irreverence and compassion…”  -- The Desert Star, Palm Springs

 

• “EXQUISITELY ENTERTAINING… It is time well spent with a masterful writer and teller of tales.”                              – TheatreScene.net, NYC

 

• “BRILLIANT… My heart broke while my sides hurt from laughing.” -- Xaque Gruber, Huffington Post, LA

 

• “HILARIOUS, PROFANE, MOVING… A tour de force…One of the funniest performances I’ve seen in years.”           -- John Rabe, SoCal Public Radio

 

• “AS HILARIOUS a solo show as you are likely to see this season” -- Steven Stanley, L.A. Stage Scene

 

• “WHO IS THIS GUY AND WHERE DID HE COME FROM?…Bottrell holds nothing back” -- George Pennacchio, ABC-TV Entertainment News

 

• “EXPLICIT, HILARIOUS & HONEST… Bottrell achieves a level of vulnerability that is rarely seen on stage...”            -- Onstage New York

 

• “A BEAUTIFUL AND GUT-PUNCHINGLY FUNNY NEW WORK from an artist who appears to thrive in telling the truth – masterfully.” -- Hollywood Revealed

 

• "BEAUTIFULLY PRESENTED... Bottrell’s stories & his message are like honey: they ebb and flow with recreated characters … never skipping a beat to share what life on the edge is all about.” -- Onstage Los Angeles

 

• "BOTTRELL HAS THAT INNATE ABILITY to drive the nail directly into the funny bone. He held the audience in complete awe." -- Discover Hollywood

 

• “HILARIOUS… authentic, human, and vulnerable…” -- Front Row Center NYC

 

• “HILARIOUS… IT IS NO WONDER THAT BOTTRELL HAS AMASSED A LARGE FAN BASE… A keen observer, he sees the humor in life’s punches…” -- Splash Magazine

 

• “HILARIOUS… David Dean Bottrell is the Han Solo of solo shows… An engaging, poignant look at the follies, foibles and hopes of our all-too-human condition…” -- Hollywood Progressive

 

• “TRULY INSPIRED… Bottrell is unapologetically spilling some “WTF” flavored tea…Each story, brimming with honesty, is told so skillfully…To lose yourself in Bottrell’s delightfully insane world is a gift.” -- LA Hidden Gems

 

Contact: DavidDeanBottrell@Gmail.com

My TV Reel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiZyTMPuTNs

My Book (published by Penguin Random  House): https://WorkingActorTheBook.com